A good example is the Paris piece called “Sound Island.” Installed in 1994, this piece consisted of three distinct parts, each one demonstrating a common Fontana theme. First Bill used acoustic microphones to pick up the sounds of crashing waves from the cost of Normandy. These sounds were delivered to the Arc de Triomphe hundreds of miles away. 48 speakers within the monument’s façade amazingly drowned out the sounds of the considerable automobile noise from one of the busiest traffic circles in the world.

“The presence of the breaking and crashing waves gave the illusion that the cars were silent… The sound of the sea is a natural white sound, and has the psycho-acoustic ability to mask other sounds. Not by virtue of being louder, but because of the sheer harmonic complexity of the sea sound.”
- BF

Second Bill used hydrophones (underwater microphones) to pick up the sounds of the English Channel. These sounds were transmitted to the underground access tunnels under the Arc de Triomphe effectively deconstructing the visual and physical space within the tunnel.

In the final portion of this piece Bill utilized microphone sensors to pick up ambient noise from the streets of Paris, chatter from cafés and tourist noise from the base of the Eiffel Tower. Bill beamed these sounds to the viewing area on top of the Arc de Triomphe allowing his audience to hear as far as they could see. The use of technologically advanced speaker systems at the reception site allow the audience to hear the sound sculpture in a natural way and realize the conceptual meaning behind the work.

It is quite disappointing that installations like “Sound Island” are not permanently installed, but chances are good that he will produce more work in the future. In fact just as recently as late 2009 Fontana exhibited new work at the San Francisco City Hall called “Spiraling Echoes.” Also stereo versions of his sound sculpture work from the past 30 years can be found via the internet at resoundings.org. Let me know which one you like the best.

Gary’s thing was never really about wine. It is about building brand equity. It does not matter how you share your content; video, podcasts, writing what matters is that you find your own voice. Even if you are not planning on going into Internet business. Personal branding is an important component to future success (in life).

Celebrities offer a practical example when it comes to personal branding. Gary offers some examples of successful people like Oprah, Howard Stern and Emeril. The take away from these personalities is their consistent message. While the aforementioned celebrities used traditional media like TV, magazines, radio, and newspapers to build their brand the new success stories are using new media, and they are doing it for almost zero cost w/out the need for gatekeeper approval. Kerry Rhodes is a NY Jets football player who uses Twitter to great success much like Ashton Kutcher. While Will Wheaton, Brooke Burke, Levar Burton, Fred Durst are on the B-list now; their use of social media will soon propel them to A-list status. 

You say you are not a celebrity? Gary says that no matter who you are you need to start building a personal brand. A personal brand is not distinct from business. That means that you have to be willing to share your Facebook profile and tweet about the things you are passionate about. Your customers, contacts, professional relationships will appreciate your authenticity, a real person on the other end of the computer. Gary says the nature of internet business relies not only on authenticity but on honesty and transparency.

“Where the eyeballs go, opportunity follows.”   -GaryVee 

What else does Gary say… Social Media is like word of mouth on stereroids. A lot of these social media programs (twitter, tumblr, Facebook, MySpace) take advantage of viral content. This means re-blogging, re-tweeting, ect that results in an exponential spread of ideas. 

That being said, numbers are not the most important thing when it comes to your online content. Gary says that the quality of your conversation is much more important than the number of people having it. At least in the beginning focus on getting good feedback and conversation from you followers. Here are some examples of some people who are crushing it online, you might want to follow them on twitter and see how they do what they do:

ianwatt.ca, @davemorin, @sacca, @ijustine, @kevinrose

Try the real-time search. Type something in and see results from social media applications (twitter ect). Do you think this information has value?

A Vook is an online version of a book. It includes exclusive videos to accompany chapters and it includes hyperlinks within the original text of the book. The hyperlinks are my favorite part of the concept.

Now on to chapter two. Here Gary covers his history, talking about his imigration from belarus, and his start in the wine buisness. The vocab word for the chapter is DNA. Gary says a lot of ambitious people who have great DNA have found themselves at a professional standstill. That is because they are not doing what they love.

“There is no longer any difference between who you are & what you do.”       -Gary V.

this post is to be continued…

Chapter 7 Authenticity, this is one of my favorite buzz words from Gary’s videos. This means not putting on a performance when you are in front of the camera, and it means being yourself. The most successful internet personalities have a home-grown creative and independent voice. Over production of videos or any other content on the web will be a fake play. If you sound like the guy on the five o’clock news you will fail.[1]

Gary explains that he shoots his blogs in one take and without a script. If something happens during the filming he just goes with it. Many Winelibrary TV episodes are shot with a flip cam in an impromptu situation. Some of the most successful episodes have poor video and audio quality, but they have great content and exemplify authenticity.

Gary says that anyone can cash in on their passion. I would argue a little with this claim because everybody does not have the charisma, on-screen personality, wit, and general zaniness. Just look at the entertaining episode I have embedded above. Not just anybody could pull that off. Charisma must be a very important part of social media success. So I guess Gary’s basic point is that it is better to be yourself even if you are not the most entertaining personality out there. This authentic approach along with good content will win viewers trust, and they will share your content.

My favorite catch phrase is authenticity, but Gary’s is hustle. Maybe we should listen to him. Gary explains at length what hustle means to him, and what it should mean to anyone trying to follow in his footsteps. Are you tired of the grind of a corporate job and endless hours on unsatisfying work? Does becoming your own social media entrepreneur sound like relief? Well Gary says that crushing it is not easy work. In fact someone with less charisma, less passion & poorer content can out hustle you. This statement refers to technology’s ability, and in particular new media’s ability, to level the playing field. This technology is widely available to the general public. Two good examples are the Red HD digital camera, and post production software. This technology does not require a steep entry barrier, and these technologies eliminate requirements for corporate structures, financing, institutional knowledge, or a large staff. Now one person can make a blockbuster film in their garage. In the same manner an entrepreneur can build an online business with widely available tools. So the rules are changing. When technology levels the playing field strong content and hustle become the deciding factors in a online business or any other endeavor. I may be getting a little ahead of my reading but I think hustle ties in closely with customer service. This is what Gary spends long hours doing, answering every email he gets and making even the smallest people feel important. I am sure we will get to that part of hustle later on.

In the last part of the chapter Gary covers patience. I am not going to take the time to explain this one when Axel Rose can do such a better job; so just watch the video.

Let’s hope that my book comes in the mail this week! What was the point of pre-ordering? Shame on you Borders books.

Crush It: Why Now Is The Time To Cash In On Your Passion

If you search around on the internet you can find most of the first and the seventh chapter of Crush It available to read for free! If you don’t read… there are scores of videos available on Gary’s Blog that cover the same content as the book. I am writing this critique having watched some videos and reading chapter one on the internet because my book has not shown up in the mail yet:( Yes the internet is powerful and if you use it properly it can even help you get your homework done (write this critique) when you have limited resources.

Gary Vanerchuk explains how he used the power of the internet in the first chapter of Crush It. He explains how he quit a very successful job running wine distribution in New Jersey to become the most prolific wine blogger on the internet. Gary explains the tools and social media websites he used to become successful. These include Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, Tumblr, and Twitter. Gary explains that anyone with a hobby can quit their day job and be happy every day because they are doing what they love. This is not a get rich quick scheme, it you want to be successful at anything you have to hustle.

Manhattan is often regarded as Woody Allen’s best work. It is a romantic comedy, but the real love interest in this film is the city of New York. Woody Allen is a filmmaker for filmmakers and “Manhattan” offers endless material for study and critique. I will describe 2-3 elements of craft from the movie and how they support the content of the film.

Gershwin and the New York Philharmonic provided all of the music for this film. This distinctly NY soundtrack made the film feel classic. Yes, “Manhattan” was shot in black and white, but the music makes a more powerful contribution to the story. Gershwin is a classic New York composer and the jazz in “Rhapsody in Blue” always associates with the city. The music’s character and it’s voice throughout the film pays tribute to the City.

Let’s get back to the black and white cinematography of “Manhattan.” This simplified a lot of the craft of this film, letting the camera work and beautifully composed shots stand out. I am reminded of one particular scene where Tracy gives Isaac a harmonica in the diner. This shot stays unbroken for minutes, and Tracy’s heart gets broken. I think you could take a still from this scene, hang it on the wall and see many themes of the film. You have got a classic diner with the guy working behind the counter, a sincere gesture from Tracy, and the unfortunate character of Isaac all captured with simple techniques and craft from the camera.

No one can attract talent like Woody. The interaction between the performers (Woody Allen, Dianne Keaton, Mariel Hemingway, Meryl Streep, and even Wallace Shawn) were so good it was like watching improv. This story was intended to paint a picture of what people and New York were like in 1979. The performances achieved their intention; but the best cast character in the film was the 59th street bridge. It’s the iconic scene where Isaac and Mary watch the sunrise. The bridge towers over them and stands as a powerful symbol of connection that portrays New York.

These elements of craft: music, cinematography, and casting had strong balance contributing to the story, themes, and ideas in the film. Manhattan is an example of classic filmmaking. The techniques and craft are simple but expertly executed; allowing the real content to shine through. Watch this film again when you get the chance.

Diner and Harmonica Scene